MCSO investigates 'suspicious' death

Marion County Sheriff's Office evidence technicians and Medical Examiner's Office investigators collect evidence at the scene of the suspicious death of a man inside a home on Southeast 180th Avenue Road in Ocklawaha on Wednesday.

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“We're processing the crime scene as though it was a homicide,” said Capt. James Pogue, public information officer for the Sheriff's Office, who added it's early in the investigation and detectives are working a number of avenues.

Detectives said a neighbor who went to check on a 74-year-old man found the door to his home open and saw blood on the floor. She saw a man who was not moving and called 911, telling the dispatcher there was not anyone else in the home.

Officials said the home is located at 6095 SE 180th Ave. Road in Ocklawaha and that the man lived there with a son.

Detectives, deputies and evidence technicians were at the scene, along with the medical examiner.

Detectives said they know the man was alive between 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. Tuesday and that they speculated his death occurred between then and about 3 p.m. Wednesday.

As of 8 p.m., authorities still were awaiting a search warrant before entering the home.

Detective T. J. Watts was assigned as lead investigator.

Officials said they were trying to locate the woman who called 911 and were talking with the man's son.

A nearby neighbor, Tim Forer, said he has lived in the area for about a year and believed the man had been there for at least a decade. He said the man's son boards horses. Forer said the man kept to himself and that they occasionally exchanged greetings.

Another neighbor, Jim McDonald, who said he has known the victim for decades, said the man moved to the area from New Hampshire and is the “nicest man in the world.”

“He was a giver. He helped everyone. If you had a need, he would help you,” McDonald said.

The man, he said, bought and sold horses and had recently purchased four horses from the Ocala Breeder's Sales auction held in Ocala.

He said his friend took a horse to Indiana or Kentucky to give birth and had returned Sunday.

“He was a family man, and he cared about his horses and doesn't bother nobody. That's why this hurts me so much,” McDonald said.

McDonald said the victim sold him his house in 2004. He said the man's wife died of cancer about three or four years ago.

Anyone with information on the man's death may call Detective Watts at 732-9111.

<p>OCKLAWAHA — A long line of yellow crime scene tape wrapped around a five-acre property late Wednesday as Marion County Sheriff's Office officials investigated what they said was a suspicious death.</p><p>“We're processing the crime scene as though it was a homicide,” said Capt. James Pogue, public information officer for the Sheriff's Office, who added it's early in the investigation and detectives are working a number of avenues.</p><p>Detectives said a neighbor who went to check on a 74-year-old man found the door to his home open and saw blood on the floor. She saw a man who was not moving and called 911, telling the dispatcher there was not anyone else in the home.</p><p>Officials said the home is located at 6095 SE 180th Ave. Road in Ocklawaha and that the man lived there with a son.</p><p>Detectives, deputies and evidence technicians were at the scene, along with the medical examiner.</p><p>Detectives said they know the man was alive between 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. Tuesday and that they speculated his death occurred between then and about 3 p.m. Wednesday.</p><p>As of 8 p.m., authorities still were awaiting a search warrant before entering the home.</p><p>Detective T. J. Watts was assigned as lead investigator.</p><p>Officials said they were trying to locate the woman who called 911 and were talking with the man's son.</p><p>A nearby neighbor, Tim Forer, said he has lived in the area for about a year and believed the man had been there for at least a decade. He said the man's son boards horses. Forer said the man kept to himself and that they occasionally exchanged greetings.</p><p>Another neighbor, Jim McDonald, who said he has known the victim for decades, said the man moved to the area from New Hampshire and is the “nicest man in the world.”</p><p>“He was a giver. He helped everyone. If you had a need, he would help you,” McDonald said.</p><p>The man, he said, bought and sold horses and had recently purchased four horses from the Ocala Breeder's Sales auction held in Ocala.</p><p>He said his friend took a horse to Indiana or Kentucky to give birth and had returned Sunday.</p><p>“He was a family man, and he cared about his horses and doesn't bother nobody. That's why this hurts me so much,” McDonald said.</p><p>McDonald said the victim sold him his house in 2004. He said the man's wife died of cancer about three or four years ago.</p><p>Anyone with information on the man's death may call Detective Watts at 732-9111.</p>